Helping you grow into an organized life.

Tag: grocery must haves

I am often asked, where do I start. Taking dairy from my diet is overwhelming. If you can start out slow do so. If you need to cut it totally out immediately, be kind to yourself. It will take sometime to get it all figured out.

Start with the obvious and the basics. If you buy gallons of milk determine what you are using it for, and find a substitute. This is not always easy. I do not like the same dairy substitute for cereal as I do for soups, or baking. I often have multiple types of milk in my refrigerator. Non-Dairy milks often come in smaller amounts than the gallon you are use to buying. This makes it easier to use them up in the time needed.

If you go through pounds of butter, I love Earth Balance Soy Free, the one in the red container. If you can have soy the other Earth Balance varieties are highly recommended. I often use Sunflower Seed Oil instead of butter in baked goods. You could also use Canola Oil or Vegetable Oil. Just remember these oils can easily go rancid after opening. Always smell, and taste, them before using them in any recipe. Olive Oil is great on garlic bread, and can be used for sautéing vegetables. Avocado Oil is also good for sautéing instead of butter.

There are great ice cream, yogurt and other dairy products substitutes.

Once you have a handle on the dairy substitutes, tackle the rest of your grocery list. Look at the bread products you are eating and the sauces you buy. There is dairy lurking in some of the strangest places, like deli meats.

Become aware of cross-contamination. Your own at home if there are dairy products still in use in your household, and those issues caused by eating out.

If you are lost or overwhelmed, reach out. There are great online communities, and support groups. There are also people like me who have been there. I have grocery shopping services, and can come help you look through your kitchen and favorite recipes to see what you need to change.

I was lamenting at a gluten-free event how I was sad Gluten-free Rice Krispies were no longer being sold in the USA. The person looked at me like I had been living under a rock. “ALDI’s Crispy Rice cereal is gluten-free” she said.

I went to ALDI that day! At the time I did not shop at ALDI much. The last time I had been there there was not much of a selection for my family. The new gluten-free line of products is good, there is soy flour in the cookies which makes them a “No” for us. The Crispy Rice Cereal however was a “Yes”! So were the marshmallows!

To make the treats I followed the directions on the marshmallow bag, and used Earth Balances Soy-free spread in place of butter.

I also used a tricked learned from one of our favorite teachers. Heat the marshmallows and butter in a glass (or your favorite Pyrex) bowl in the microwave. I don’t use my microwave very often, but this is one of my reasons for loving them. There are no after pictures because we ate them so fast. Next time I will melt some dairy-free chocolate chips on top. Yum.

Sweets for breakfast are so indulgent. It is nice to have something that feels like a treat some mornings. We had tried some gluten free doughnuts but had not found a readily available one. We of course love the Erin McKenna doughnuts while at Disney World, and the Silly Yak Bakery when in Madison. Finally we have doughnuts to eat for breakfast Katz Gluten Free are the best doughnuts we have had since going gluten free. We have loved every variety we have tried and one day I will order the creme filled ones. I am afraid they will become my kryptonite.

Katz doughnuts are dairy free and gluten free. They are also nut free and potato free. We find them at a few local grocery stores (except those amazing looking filled ones) and our favorite health food store carries them.